Vapor electric device



Dec. 10, 1929. 1..0. J. A. DUNOYER El AL 1,739,443

VAPOR ELECTRI C DEVICE Filed Dec. 21, 1923 Fig.

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l l l sardine S Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE LOUIS DOMINIQUE JOSEPH ARMANI) DUNOYER, OF NEUIIALY-SUR-SEINE, AND PIERRE MARIE GABRIEL TOULON, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNORS, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE Application filed December 21, 1923, Serial No. 682,099, and in Germany lJecember 23, 1922.

Our invention relates to vapor electric devices such as the mercury rectifier and has for its principal object the provision of an improved apparatus and method of operation whereby the current of a continuously excited vapor electric device may be readily controlled.

In accordance with our invention, the current transmitted between the cathode and anode of a continuously excited vapor electric device is controlled by a sleeve or electrode mounted on the outside of the evacuated vessel which encloses the cathode and anode.

This arrangement requires that the rectifier have at least one electrode which is the seat of a continuous emission of electrons, for example, a mercury bath with a sustained cathodic spot or an electrical filament. It is characterized by the fact that there are arranged around the bulb one or more conductor sleeves which are connected with one or more control circuits by means of which these sleeves may be carried to potentials different from those of the electrodes.

Inan ordinary continuously excited vapor electric device or are rectifier the are formed from the anode to the cathode during each positive half period of the alternating current which feeds it and the apparatus, supplies a continuous pulsating current of a certain intensity.

If, according to what has been stated above, such an apparatus is provided with one or more conductive sleeves and if these sleeves are carried to a' suitable potential, the electromagnetic field thus created in the rectifier will prevent formation of the are. It is hence possible, by means of such sleeves to prevent passage of the current or to permit it to pass as desired; also, by carrying these sleeves periodically, more or less rapidly and more or less regularly, to the suitable potential, it is possible to permit the passage of the continuous pulsating current fed only perlodlcally for longer or shorter periods of time, that 1s, to regulateas desired the mean or average intensity of the current; by periodically increasing or decreasing the otential of the sleeve we thus obtain an un ulatory current and of any desired frequency lower than that of the feed current.

The arrangement thus permits of obtaining elther an interrupter or a relay, by means of which the changes of periodicity of the potential variation of the sleeve will be reproduced by the variations of the intensity of the feed current.

The current necessary to modify the potential of the sleeve, which is completely insulated, is extremely small with respect to the current fed by the rectifier. We thus produce very practical interrupters or amplifiers of great amplifying power.

It has already been proposed to control continuous current fed by an arc rectifier, with rarified gas or vapor, by means of a grate placed in the apparatus between cathode and anode and whose changes in potential prevent or permit passage of the are. But grates of this type are diflicult to install and maintain; as their temperature must remain sufficiently low, they must be cooled by complicated devices; they also require supplementary cur-' rent inlets through the walls of the contalner finally the electric loads which fall on the grate can make it feed a very high current and even create a short circuit between the grate and the anode. It is apparent that under such conditions an internal grate bulb can not be employed for this purpose.

It has also been proposed to arrange sleeves around vacuum tubes and, by bringing these to a suitable potential, to produce various effects, for example, the ignition of the cathodic spot or the regulation and maintenance of the oscillations of a tube fed by continuous current and feeding into an oscillating circuit.

The present invention is clearly difl'erent from any of the preceding devices.

By way of example we have described hereinafter and represented on theaccompanying drawings three forms of construction of the device for controlling continuous pulsating current fed by a rarified gas or vapor arc rectifier fed from an alternating current source.

Fig. 1 shows an arc rectifier truth 'a single anode the cathode of which is in a mercury bath having a sustained cathodic spot.

Fig. 2 shows an arc rectifier with a single anode and the cathode of which is formed y an electrically heated filament.

Fig. 3 is an arc rectifier with two anodes with a cathodic spot fed by a transformer.

According to Fig. 1, the bulb 1 contains a main cathode 2 and an auxiliary cathode 3, and at the other end an anode 4. This bulb 1 is" fed by an alternating current source the terminals of which are indicated at 11. 12

represents the circuit in which the rectified continuous current is utilized.

Around the tube 1 is arranged a sleeve 5 connected to an electric source, for example, a battery or series of batteries by means of a movable commutator 7 which permits of carrying it to a more or less high potential. The main cathode 2 and the auxiliary cathode 3 are placed in a continuous current circuit 13-14.

The operation of the device is as follows:

An auxiliary are 9 remains continually ignited by the passage of the continuous current circuit 13-14 between the cathodes 2 and 3. The main arc 8 is formed between the cathode 2 and the anode 4 at each positive half period of the alternating current coming from the terminals 11. The formation of the arc permits the passage of a continuous pulsatingcurrent which is utilized in the circuit 12. If we carry the sleeve 5 to a negative potential with respect to the cathode 2, the main are 8 will not be formed between the cathode 2 and the anode 4 at each half period in which it would be formed if this sleeve 5 were not carried to this potential.

As a result the sleeve 5 may serve to interru t the supply of current of the rectifier and t 115 by means of a current which is extremely slight relative to-the current fed by the arc. If it is desired to establish an interrupter directly on the load circuit, it is necessary to give it dimensions and strength relative-to the voltage and intensity of the current used.

If we carry the sleeve 5 to a potential negative with respect to the cathode 2, not continuously, but periodically and at each period for a certain duration, there will pass into the rectifier 1 only the series of current pulsations which are more or less long and more or less spaced apart. It is thus possible to produce regulation of the feed of the continuous pulsating current provided by the i rectifier.

In the rectifier shown in Fig. 2, the elements are the same as in that of Fig. 1, except as follows. The cathode is formed of a filament 10 heated by a source of continuous current 15. The operation is exactly the same as that of the device of Fig. 1.

In the arrangement of Fig. 3 the rectifier comprises a main cathode 18 and an auxiliary cathode 19 placed in the continuous current circuit and producing a permanent are for the maintenance of the cathodic spot of bath 18. The rectifier comprises two anodes 16 and 17 which are connected respectively tothe ends of two windings of a transformer 22-23. The useful circuit is passed to terminals 25-26 connected respectively with the cathode 18 and with the neutral point 24 of the transformer 22-23. Sleeves 20-21 are arranged on each arm of the rectifier near the anodes 16-17. These sleeves are connected respectivel to the ends 22-23 of the transformer win ings by acommutator 27 which permits of connecting each sleeve 20-21 with the end 22-23 which feeds the corresponding anode 16-17, or reversing this connection.

If the commutator 27 is mounted so that each sleeve 20-21 be connected to the same end 22-23 of the transformer as the corresponding anode 16-17, the sleeve will. have at each instant the same potential as the anode and its presence will not prevent the formation of one or the other of the arcs which play between the cathode 18 and the anode 16 or 17; on the contrary, the formation of this are will be facilitated. On the other hand, if the sleeves 20-21 are connected by the commutator 27 to the opposite points 23, 22 of the transformer each sleeve 20, 21 will have a negative potential while the correspondin anode 16-17 will have a positive potentia that is, at the moment at which the arcs 18-16, 18-17 may be formed, and will prestated, a series 0 pulsations which are more or less long and more or less s aced apart."

2V3 thus regulate the intensity 0 the current In feeding two shunt circuits from one alternating source, each circuit of which contains a bulb, for example the type of Fig.

1, and in which these bulbs are arranged in inverse direction, each bulb, in operation, will permit the passage of one of the. phases, and the whole will feed alternating current. By the operation or movement of the sleeves it is thus possible to effect interruption or regulation of the alternating current fed, as previously herein. described.

According to the preceding it is easy to understand that the invention will permit of being employed in most cases where three electrode lamps are used, for example, in rectifying currents, amplification, generation of high or low frequency alternating current and in frequency transformation.

We claim: 1. The combination of a continuously excited vapor electric device provided with an anode and a cathode mounted within an evacuated vessel containing a vapor or gas and with a control electrode mounted outside of said vessel, and means for applying to said control electrode a potential whereby the starting of current between said anode and cathode is prevented.

2. A continuously excited arc device provided with an anode and a cathode enclosed 5 within an evacuated vessel and with a control electrode mounted outside; of said vessel and arranged to prevent the starting of the arc of said device.

3. The combination of a continuously, excited arc device provided with an anode and a cathode enclosed within an evacuated vessel and with a control electrode mounted outside of said vesseland arrangedto surround the arc of said device, and means for periodically applying to said control electrode a potential whereby the starting of said arc may be prevented.

4. The combination of a continuously excited mercury arc rectifier provided with an anode and a cathode enclosed within an evacuated vessel and with a control electrode mounted outside of said vessel, and means for applying to said control electrode a potential which may be adjusted to prevent starting of said arc. v

In witness whereof they have hereunto set their hands.

TOULON, PIERRE MARIE GABRIEL. DUNOYER, LOUIS DOMINIQUE JOSEPH ARMANI). 

